Florida players share knowledge at Brantley camp

By John PattonCorrespondent

Published: Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 11:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 11:51 p.m.

Donning shorts, socks, cleats and an official “Brantley Quarterback Camp” gray t-shirt, they looked to blend in with all of the high school athletes throwing passes and running routes Sunday morning at Trinity Catholic.

Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel makes a throw during the Brantley Quarterback Camp at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Sunday.

Bruce Ackerman/Staff photographer

Facts

UP NEXT FOR FLORIDA

■ Gators start preseason practice Aug. 4.■ The first of eight open practices is Aug. 7 at Dizney Lacrosse Stadium on campus. Time TBA.■ The open practice Aug. 16 at Florida Field will be followed by Fan Day (3 p.m. scheduled start) at the O'Connell Center.

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“They run crisp routes, make catches without dropping anything, and the passes are perfect,” said Gary Scott, a senior cornerback/receiver for nationally ranked Jacksonville Trinity Christian. “Nothing is out of sync.

“I made sure to watch them, and talk to them and ask questions afterwards. You don't get to be around guys like that very often.”

Ten months removed from breaking his right fibula in a victory against Tennessee, Driskel moved well and appeared to be as strong at the end of throwing for 75 minutes in upper-80s heat as he was at the beginning.

“He's good,” said Trinity Catholic coach John Brantley III, whose camp just completed its third year. “He had the same injury I got when I was a junior playing at Florida (1978). He had the same thing put in I did, a plate and four screws, but it didn't seem like it was bothering him a bit.”

Brantley's son, John Brantley IV, also went through leg and ankle injuries while quarterbacking UF. He said a natural subconscious inclination soon after returning is to be more protective of yourself.

“But you need to stay positive,” said Brantley, a Gator from 2007-11. “You have to trust the teammates you have and know they are going to do everything they can to protect you.

“(The injury) might be in the back of your head for a little bit, no matter how much you don't normally think about it. After a while, though, once you've been at it things become totally like they were (pre-injury) because you have that complete trust in your teammates. They've got your back.”

The four Gators weren't allowed to speak to the media, per University of Florida Athletic Association policy, but after a morning session of passing they did do a 10-minute question and answer session with the campers in the Celtics' lockerroom.

Among the topics discussed:

Social media — Driskel said UF meets with players two or three times each year to discuss the good and bad of Twitter, Facebook, etc... He added that Gator coach Will Muschamp often tells the story of a player he once coached who dropped from a definite first-round pick in the NFL Draft to a third-rounder because of a racial joke he made on social media.

Off-field activities — Burton said: “If you want to stay focused, a lot of your extra-curricular activities have to go away.” He added that as players you have to “set your circle (of friends) when you get to college,” avoiding possible bad influences.

*Recruiting — Driskel spoke of how, being a heavily sought prospect from Oviedo Hagerty, he enjoyed the attention at first but got a little worn down by it as the months passed. He encouraged the campers to relish the experience as best they could. Driskel also reminded the players to work hard and understand “there are a lot of spots out there (at colleges) if you really want to play.” (LRS Sports recruiting specialist Dwight Thomas, Emmitt Smith's coach at Pensacola Escambia, later told the group that one in 111 high school football players in Florida earn Division-I scholarships, easily the highest percentage of any state.)

Being a freshman — Robinson said the transition is difficult because you are away from home for the first time and change is required to adjust yourself to new schedules. Driskel said Gator freshmen are required to lift weights at 6 a.m. and do conditioning at 7 a.m., and then the day with classes, practice and meals begins.

Choosing a school — “Don't commit to a coach,” Driskel said. “We have a sixth-year receiver, Andre Dubose, who is on his sixth wide receivers coach. That can happen.” Driskel added: “Commit to a program, not a coach.”

From Manning to Brantley

Driskel's participation came about when he and Brantley III met up at the Manning Passing Academy earlier this month at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.

“(Former UF quarterback) Tyler Murphy came to our camp last year, and when I saw Jeff, I reached out to him and asked if he'd like to come,” Brantley said. “I told him about it, when and where it was, and he jumped on it right away. He asked if he could bring some receivers, and I said 'sure, bring whoever you want. We'll be happy to have all of you.'”

Added Brantley IV: “They start (Gator) camp in a week, and for them to be here when they can use all the rest they can get says a lot about their dedication.”

However, on Sunday the rival schools worked in harmony, as the Brantleys, both with lengthy ties to Trinity Catholic in addition to UF, worked with Trinity Christian's Scott, as well as junior quarterback Bill Cobb and senior wideout Michael Clark.

“This is a way to improve yourself,” said Scott, who has scholarship offers from Savannah State and North Carolina-Central, as well as interest from Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio and Ohio State. “Fundamentals are a big part of success, and you can never work together too much as quarterbacks and receivers. We also had the chance to bond on the ride here and just hang out.

“Plus, not every coach knows everything, so it is good to go out and see the kind of things you can learn from someone else. It's all part of taking in as much as you can and putting things together to make yourself as successful as possible.”

That doesn't mean there wasn't playful ribbing. Brantley made a joking remark like “they don't run go-routes at Trinity Christian, do they?” just about every time one of the Conquerors lined up for his turn.

In the end, there was a bond, shown when Scott was leaving the field for lunch. He said he had gotten better being there and thanked Brantley for it.

Because each session includes just 12 quarterbacks and six receivers, it allows for more one-on-one tutelage than other, larger camps.

Thomas, who has participated as a speaker and advice-giver all three summers, said he believes that maximizes what participants receive in their six hours of work.

“This was the most professionally run camp that had all the components you want in a camp,” Thomas said. “The progression was excellent. The ratio of player and coach was right where you want it, and each player got observed reps with positive coaching each time he went.”

<p>Donning shorts, socks, cleats and an official “Brantley Quarterback Camp” gray t-shirt, they looked to blend in with all of the high school athletes throwing passes and running routes Sunday morning at Trinity Catholic.</p><p>But Jeff Driskel, Clay Burton, Latroy Pittman and Demarcus Robinson can't exactly do that.</p><p>“They run crisp routes, make catches without dropping anything, and the passes are perfect,” said Gary Scott, a senior cornerback/receiver for nationally ranked Jacksonville Trinity Christian. “Nothing is out of sync.</p><p>“I made sure to watch them, and talk to them and ask questions afterwards. You don't get to be around guys like that very often.”</p><p>Ten months removed from breaking his right fibula in a victory against Tennessee, Driskel moved well and appeared to be as strong at the end of throwing for 75 minutes in upper-80s heat as he was at the beginning.</p><p>“He's good,” said Trinity Catholic coach John Brantley III, whose camp just completed its third year. “He had the same injury I got when I was a junior playing at Florida (1978). He had the same thing put in I did, a plate and four screws, but it didn't seem like it was bothering him a bit.”</p><p>Brantley's son, John Brantley IV, also went through leg and ankle injuries while quarterbacking UF. He said a natural subconscious inclination soon after returning is to be more protective of yourself.</p><p>“But you need to stay positive,” said Brantley, a Gator from 2007-11. “You have to trust the teammates you have and know they are going to do everything they can to protect you.</p><p>“(The injury) might be in the back of your head for a little bit, no matter how much you don't normally think about it. After a while, though, once you've been at it things become totally like they were (pre-injury) because you have that complete trust in your teammates. They've got your back.”</p><p>The four Gators weren't allowed to speak to the media, per University of Florida Athletic Association policy, but after a morning session of passing they did do a 10-minute question and answer session with the campers in the Celtics' lockerroom.</p><p><b>Among the topics discussed:</b></p><p>Social media — Driskel said UF meets with players two or three times each year to discuss the good and bad of Twitter, Facebook, etc... He added that Gator coach Will Muschamp often tells the story of a player he once coached who dropped from a definite first-round pick in the NFL Draft to a third-rounder because of a racial joke he made on social media.</p><p>Off-field activities — Burton said: “If you want to stay focused, a lot of your extra-curricular activities have to go away.” He added that as players you have to “set your circle (of friends) when you get to college,” avoiding possible bad influences.</p><p>*Recruiting — Driskel spoke of how, being a heavily sought prospect from Oviedo Hagerty, he enjoyed the attention at first but got a little worn down by it as the months passed. He encouraged the campers to relish the experience as best they could. Driskel also reminded the players to work hard and understand “there are a lot of spots out there (at colleges) if you really want to play.” (LRS Sports recruiting specialist Dwight Thomas, Emmitt Smith's coach at Pensacola Escambia, later told the group that one in 111 high school football players in Florida earn Division-I scholarships, easily the highest percentage of any state.)</p><p>Being a freshman — Robinson said the transition is difficult because you are away from home for the first time and change is required to adjust yourself to new schedules. Driskel said Gator freshmen are required to lift weights at 6 a.m. and do conditioning at 7 a.m., and then the day with classes, practice and meals begins.</p><p>Choosing a school — “Don't commit to a coach,” Driskel said. “We have a sixth-year receiver, Andre Dubose, who is on his sixth wide receivers coach. That can happen.” Driskel added: “Commit to a program, not a coach.”</p><p><b>From Manning to Brantley</b></p><p>Driskel's participation came about when he and Brantley III met up at the Manning Passing Academy earlier this month at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.</p><p>“(Former UF quarterback) Tyler Murphy came to our camp last year, and when I saw Jeff, I reached out to him and asked if he'd like to come,” Brantley said. “I told him about it, when and where it was, and he jumped on it right away. He asked if he could bring some receivers, and I said 'sure, bring whoever you want. We'll be happy to have all of you.'”</p><p>Added Brantley IV: “They start (Gator) camp in a week, and for them to be here when they can use all the rest they can get says a lot about their dedication.”</p><p><b>Teammates for a day</b></p><p>En route to the FHSAA Class 3A state championship last season, Trinity Christian defeated Trinity Catholic, 46-17, in the Region 1 final.</p><p>The likelihood exists the two teams could meet again this November.</p><p>However, on Sunday the rival schools worked in harmony, as the Brantleys, both with lengthy ties to Trinity Catholic in addition to UF, worked with Trinity Christian's Scott, as well as junior quarterback Bill Cobb and senior wideout Michael Clark.</p><p>“This is a way to improve yourself,” said Scott, who has scholarship offers from Savannah State and North Carolina-Central, as well as interest from Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio and Ohio State. “Fundamentals are a big part of success, and you can never work together too much as quarterbacks and receivers. We also had the chance to bond on the ride here and just hang out.</p><p>“Plus, not every coach knows everything, so it is good to go out and see the kind of things you can learn from someone else. It's all part of taking in as much as you can and putting things together to make yourself as successful as possible.”</p><p>That doesn't mean there wasn't playful ribbing. Brantley made a joking remark like “they don't run go-routes at Trinity Christian, do they?” just about every time one of the Conquerors lined up for his turn.</p><p>In the end, there was a bond, shown when Scott was leaving the field for lunch. He said he had gotten better being there and thanked Brantley for it.</p><p>Because each session includes just 12 quarterbacks and six receivers, it allows for more one-on-one tutelage than other, larger camps.</p><p>Thomas, who has participated as a speaker and advice-giver all three summers, said he believes that maximizes what participants receive in their six hours of work.</p><p>“This was the most professionally run camp that had all the components you want in a camp,” Thomas said. “The progression was excellent. The ratio of player and coach was right where you want it, and each player got observed reps with positive coaching each time he went.”</p>